


agnes

by orphan_account



Series: Lavashipping [1]
Category: Lego Ninjago, Ninjago - Fandom
Genre: M/M, TW: addiction, TW: disordered eating, tw: child abuse, tw: child neglect, tw: mental illness, tw: smoking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-24
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-19 02:49:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,176
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19966795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: (ive never published anything on ao3, so please bear with me as i figure out this site)The Time Twins have been defeated, but victories often come with loss. This is apparent as the ninja team begins to unviel a disconnection without their Master; Kai is indifferent to this loss however, unlike his teammate Cole. Through a series of close moments, some more lighthearted than others, Cole and Kai form a bond Kai didn't know he could have.(sorry for the weird dramatic description- what that means is gayness through fluff and angst)





	1. he runs his scissor at the seam in the wall

**Author's Note:**

> haiiii wow my first fanfic im actually posting...nice
> 
> this whole thing is kind of new to me but im currently in poland and dont have a drawing tablet, so i was desperate for some kind of project to devote myself to
> 
> and liek what better than easy to write fluff where i dump a lot of my character analysis and shit? but anyways this is gonna be a pretty short fanfic overall, but its just a feelgood sort of thing
> 
> i have licherally the whole thing written so ill update every other day if possible

Kai rolled over and groaned, stuffing his unrested head into his pillow. It had been almost 3 months since they moved into the temple, but Kai still had trouble sleeping almost every night. Maybe it was the fact that he'd never had a room to himself , and sleeping all alone was unfamiliar. He'd grown up sharing a room with Nya, and until now, he bunked with Lloyd, Cole, Zane, and Jay.  
  
Although sometimes it didn't feel like he was alone, which was probably worse. More often than he was comfortable with, Kai would feel a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, like a pair of eyes was watching him. It wasn't unlikely that the temple still had supernatural properties attached to it, considering its history, and the fact that it was floating a hundred feet above ground. None of them had any idea why.  
  
Except maybe Jay and Nya, Kai thought to himself, rolling over again to stare at the ceiling. When the subject was first brought up, they claimed they didn't know anything about it, but Kai noticed them whispering about it to each other later. It agitated him, but whenever he asked Nya about it, she brushed it off. Kai begrudgingly decided he'd let them have their secrets.  
  
He hopped out of bed, shuddering at the sudden feeling of cold hardwood on his feet, and being ripped away from his cozy blankets. He got dressed and ignored the knocks on the bathroom door as he did his hair.  
  
"Just a second," Kai called out, applying a generous layer of gel. He capped up the jar, and winked at his reflection.  
  
"Finally," grumbled Jay when Kai left the bathroom. Kai stuck out his tongue at him and they went their separate ways.  
  
Kai ran down the stairs to the kitchen, longing for the smell of Zane's cooking. Any other time they weren't fighting some big bad, Zane would make the time to cook them a hearty team breakfast.  
  
"Where's Zane?" Kai asked Nya, who was making herself a cup of coffee.  
  
"At the Samurai X cave," Nya said. "He's been looking for signs of Pixal." She held up a clenched fist to her forehead and scowled.  
  
"Hey, you okay?" Kai said.  
  
She smiled, but her eyebrows were still knit together in pain. "I'm okay. Just a headache. Nothing some sleep won't fix."  
  
"You sure you wanna drink that coffee then?" Kai poured himself a bowl of cereal and sat down next to Cole, who grunted a good morning.  
  
"Sleep, _after_ I get some work done."  
  
A minute later, Jay joined them. "Good morning sweety," Jay passed by Nya, grabbing something out of the pantry and beginnng to scarf it down.  
  
"Good morning."  
  
"Hey, Jay, do you wanna do some training together later?" Cole spoke up.  
  
Jay finished chewing the rest of his breakfast bar and frowned apologetically. "Ooh, sorry buddy, I don't think I can. I got stuff to do. Maybe some other time though, if you want?"  
  
"M'kay."  
  
"Welp, I'm gonna run," Jay wiped his hands on his pants and they all said their goodbyes.  
  
"What's he so busy with anyway?" Kai pondered.  
  
Nya shrugged and began to wash off her mug. "What everybody else is busy with. Their own thing, or finding Wu."  
  
Cole poured himself some more cereal and sighed. Nya left the room leaving Kai and Cole by themselves.  
  
"Everybody's off doing their own thing huh?" Kai started up some conversation.  
  
"Hm?" Cole said, or mumbled, with his mouth full of cereal. Kai chuckled as Cole realized what Kai had said and held up his hand to signal for Kai to excuse him.  
  
"Sorry," Cole laughed nervously. "Um, yeah I guess. It's not like I don't have stuff to do. I just kinda wanted a break and to just spend some time with Jay. Like old times."  
  
"Yeah," Kai tapped his spoon against his empty bowl mindlessly. "I feel that."  
  
Cole continued eating, and Kai could see that Cole wasn't going to make the invitation himself.  
  
"If you're up for it, I can train with you sometime," Kai offered. He'd been rather bored lately, and searching for Wu was starting to seem hopeless. Besides, he never quite got the chance to spend one on one time with Cole.  
  
"If you can keep up," Cole elbowed him.  
  
"Ohoho, I can," Kai boasted. "And I won't go easy on you just 'cause you're used to Jay."  
  
"Oh my FSM, don't let him hear you say that. He'd be so mad."  
  
"So what? I could punt him."  
  
Cole covered his mouth and laughed, nearly spraying cereal everywhere.  
  
"Eww, gross," Kai complained through laughter, as he got up to put away his dish. "You wanna train, in like, an hour? I'll meet you at the training room."  
  
"Sure."

★ ★ ★

  
Kai leaned against the training room's wall, exaggerating his impatience by sighing and bouncing his leg. Cole didn't bat an eye, and Kai had to wonder if he was deliberately slowing his movements to get a rouse out of Kai. Because it was close to working.  
  
Cole took off his hoodie to reveal a gray tank top, and Kai sighed louder this time, when Cole began to pull a hairtie off his wrist. As Cole finished up his hair, Kai separated himself from the wall. His separation was cut short however, as Cole lowered himself down into a steady lunge.  
  
Kai groaned loudly. "Geeeez, can we get _going_ already?"   
  
"You aren't going to stretch?" Cole asked, now standing on one foot, holding the other up to his back.  
  
"Ugh, you're starting to sound like Zane," Kai said. But Cole didn't really. Cole said it in a more amused, remarking tone, unlike Zane's stern insistence.  
  
"It's just a quick run," Kai put a hand on his hip. "Are you done yet? How much do you need to prepare?"  
  
Cole stood up to his full height, crossing his arms and looking down at Kai. "Says the one who took an hour in the bathroom this morning."  
  


"I'm not letting go of my appearance," Kai scoffed and gestured at his hair. "Even if it's just a run with _you._ "

"Hahah! You got all spruced up just for me?" Cole said as he grabbed his bag and left the room, and Kai followed suit.

They used airjitzu to get from the temple to a trail that Cole had said he used occasionally. They started with an easy jog, running basically side by side. The trail was shaded by the foliage of trees, but the heat was still noticeable, even for a master of fire. Especially for anyone else, Kai thought. He glanced at Cole, whose arms and face were flecked with sweat. Smirking, Kai broke into a dash.

He didn't look behind him until Cole's footsteps blended into the soft rustling of leaves. He looked back at Cole, who bore an amused expression. Kai saw Cole look down and shake his head.

"What?" Kai ran backwards now, feeling confident enough to do so. "Scared you'll lose to a race?"

"No," Cole yelled. "Just pacing myself."

It was Kai's turn to shake his head. "Lighten up Cole! It's a run! don't take it so seriously."

Cole rolled his eyes, but continued smiling. "Alright," he slowed to a stop. "Come back here and make it a fair race."

Kai skidded to a halt, standing there for a moment, hands on his hips. Then he ducked under a branch and sprinted off of the trail. He cackled at Cole's annoyed "Hey!" and dodged his way through the trees. He ran swiftly, avoiding roots and shrubs. Not daring to look behind him, but hearing thrashing, he kicked in another burst of speed.

A root appeared out of nowhere, and he tripped with his legs becoming like lead. They weighed him down, and after stumbling over many more roots, he collapsed to the ground. He was too worn out to even take a drink of water.

"Kinda bumpy huh?" Kai wheezed and looked up. Cole had his hands on his knees, looking far too smug for Kai's taste.

Kai opened his bag to take a long swig of his water bottle, and avoid responding. Cole lowered himself next to Kai with nothing more than a grunt. He didn't make any more teasing comments, which Kai had to appreciate.

After a few minutes, Cole stood up and offered Kai his hand. "C'mon. I know a shortcut."

Kai accepted, and was practically yanked to his feet. He winced, but understood underestimating powers. Or overestimating, as Kai had done with his resistance to heat.

"You seem to know this place pretty well for a guy who says he doesn't c'mere often," Kai commented as he followed Cole.

Cole shrugged. "I guess I've been coming here a lot more lately. Training at the temple is nice and all but...sometimes you need to to be alone." 

The trees eventually dwindled down into a sparse amount, and the ground sloped up into a grassy clearing. Using the last of the strength left in his legs, Kai trailed Cole up the hill. Kai sat down, taking in the sight. The hill was small, but he could see the sun rising into the middle of the sky, escaping the coverage of the forest. Cole half sat, half lay besides Kai. A gentle breeze ruffled Cole's hair as he released it from its hairtie, and it cascaded down to his shoulders. His shirt was soaked with sweat, but the sunlight had lulled them into laziness, and they couldn't be bothered to find shade.

Kai tore at the grass beneath his feet and threw it into the air, allowing the breeze to carry it away. He placed his arms on his knees, and fixated his gaze on Cole.

"You said you liked to come here alone," Kai said. "Why'd you show me this place?"

Cole shrugged again. "It's a waste to keep it to myself. Thought I'd show it to somebody."

"Well 'yourself' is a pretty cool dude," Kai said, giving Cole a light punch. "Cool enough to gel my hair up for."

Cole brushed a strand of his hair behind his ear bashfully. "Thanks."

"...that was a joke. The gelling my hair part."

"Got it," Cole said.

Kai laughed and punched Cole harder. He looked back to the sky and leaned into the same sitting-laying position as Cole. Cole nudged him and held up an earbud in his hand. Kai took the earbud, and some kind of garagey rock band began playing in his ear. He couldn't place his finger on the genre, his knowledge of music being much less expansive than Cole's.

_One thing I never see the same when you're 'round_  
_I don't believe in him- his lips on the ground_  
_I wanna take you to that place in "Roche"_  
_But no one gives us any time anymore_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> song is Instant Crush by Cage The Elephants. its not quite rock like i said but cage the elephant typically does more rock stuff so yea (some more of the lyrics are also the title of this chapter). its a little bit of a sad song about a bad relationship but i feel like a lot of the words fit the issues i wanna address in this fic
> 
> also i apologize if i ramble a lot in the notes i like to *chimpanzee noises*


	2. and then one day sara came around

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok uh cw for disordered eating in this chapter, specifically binge eating disorder. its not an actual scene where its happening but a character describes it loosely. its never actually referred to as an ed but ill put a ** right before the scene and right when it ends
> 
> also cw for smoking and addiction, and there is a flashback to somebody explicitly smoking so yeah, i hope these are appropriate warnings. ill put a // in front of and at the end of that scene
> 
> also i changed the name of the fic lol, inspired by Agnes by Glass Animals because that song is VERY fitting and its one of those songs that make you grgrghahf *crushes you against my forhead like a soda can*. but i couldnt find a place to put it in this fic. plus i like having distinct names; "laugh a little" was kind of boring

Since then, Cole and Kai began training together on a regular basis. Kai didn't really like training by himself, and Nya was busy tracking down Samurai X. Lloyd had fully devoted himself to his master training, and Zane was investigating Pixal's disappearance. And Jay was nice enough, but Kai couldn't imagine spending more than half an hour alone with him. He didn't know how Cole did it. Besides, he figured that Jay would much rather spend his free time with electronics or inventions.

But working out was about the extent of Kai and Cole's time together. Which is how he came to the realization that things were terribly boring when they weren't fighting a villain. At least for him, who didn't feel the need to take a major responsibility for Wu's disappearance. He thought the ninja functioned decently without him; slacking off at training was the worst they got. He didn't have much attachment to Wu anyway, who was more like a teacher than a father figure. If he was lost in time, what could they do?

Cole was another story, Kai discovered, as he found Cole at a desk in one of the temple's studies. He was hunched over a pile of books and scrolls. Kai strolled over next to the mentioned desk, and pushed aside an especially tall stack of books. Then he rested his chin in his hands, as he bent down to be more eye level with Cole. He couldn't take any more days of sitting around and doing nothing.

"'Sup," Cole barely even glanced at Kai as he scribbled something down onto a scroll.

"What, not excited to see me?" Kai said.

Cole lifted his head up from his paper, turned his chair around to face Kai with a loud _scraaape_ , and folded his hands. Cracking a smile, he said, "What is up Kai?"

Kai snorted with laughter and lifted his head from his hands. "Nothing. I'm bored as hellll."

"You could help me with gathering all this information on realms," Cole suggested. 

Kai wasn't impressed. "Really? That's the best you got?"

"Hey, I'm just doing what Lloyd told me to," Cole defended himself. "He said it'd help find Wu."

"Didn't we rule out him being in another realm?"

"We ruled out him being in any of the realms we've been to," Cole's mouth flipped into a frown, and his attention was directed at his papers again. "But not the realms we haven't traveled to, or even know exist."

Kai watched Cole open up another massive book and flip through its pages. Cole looked very tired. Dark circles accentuated his downturned eyes, and he moved as if he had weights tied to his hands. Kai knew that if he left Cole to work, Cole wouldn't get much sleep that night.

"Yo, you wanna hang out for a little while?" Kai piped up. "Just in the city or something?" 

Cole looked up and blinked slowly. "Right now?" 

"Yeah!" Kai stood up from the desk.

Cole brushed his hair behind his ear. "I dunno Kai, I should probably get this done."

"Okay, real talk. Gross, I know-" Kai said at the surprised expression Cole made. "How long have you been doing this now? A while yeah? You'll probably spend another few hours at it if you don't take a little break."

"C'mon. When was the last time you went out and had some fun?" Kai insisted when Cole hesitated.

Kai was pleased to see Cole lean back in his chair and consider everything Kai had said. After some more hesitation, Cole gave in. They took a bus to Ninjago City, not feeling like drawing attention with their dragons or vehicles. The night was hot but crisp, it being late summer. Colorful lights emitted from various storefronts and cars, basking the streets in artificial oranges and yellows. Kai and Cole wandered aimlessly, going from store to store in one of the city's many shopping hotspots. 

Kai led them towards the designer brand stores, where they got a laugh out of trying on clothes that were way beyond Kai and Cole's budget combined. Not that Cole would contribute to a purchase of frivilously colored crop tops and over the top shoes.

They stopped at a few stores more attoned to Cole's taste as well. Most of them blared rock music loud enough to make Kai deaf, while Cole nodded along as he inspected records.

"Vintage, huh?" Kai noted the posters advertising local peformances and spraypainted pieces of classic cartoon characters doing untypically vulgar things.

Cole picked up another record and shrugged. "I didn't really know they were a popular thing. My dad had a record player for all his oldie stuff."  
  
Kai nodded. He noticed that Cole shrugged a lot, even when he had a definite answer. And that when he was an unsure of himself, and when a shrug was more appropriate, he'd brush a piece of his hair behind his ear. It was weirdly charming.

"Maybe I should get one," Cole wondered.

"You definitely look like you would have one," Kai commented.

"Huh?"

Kai gestured at Cole's attire, but even when Cole looked down at himself and then back at Kai, he still seemed confused. Kai had to laugh. "All black? Boots? Grungy jacket? You gotta be lying if you're saying that you're into rock and and wear clothes like that without knowing it's a trend."

Cole put the record back, looking embarassed, and said, "I just like wearing black! It's like...a comfort color I guess."

"Ha, no I get what you mean," Kai insisted. He almost didn't say anything else. "My favorite color used to be green, actually. But red grew on me."

A grin crept onto Cole's face. "Holy shit. Your favorite color used to be green?"

"Shut up!"

"That is _golden_." Cole barked in laughter, and selected a record. "Alright, I'm getting a record player and one of these. I better live up to my appearance."

They also visited a video game store, which brought back memories. Kai had grown out of things like _Fist To Face 2_ , but when he saw that a 4th installment had been made, he had to play the demo with Cole. Unsurprisingly, Kai demolished Cole.

"Think we should have gotten something for Jay?" Kai mused. "He loves those Starfarer games right?" 

"Nah, he's got his own money to spend," Cole replied. "We came here to spend money on ourselves."

Kai slowed to a stop. "And I think I know what our next buy should be," Kai grabbed Cole's arm. "Look!"

He pointed at a little store with very colorful decorations and a photo of delicious looking ice cream on its window. "Rolled ice cream! We should totally get some!"

"Oh man," Cole said. "You know I swore off of sweets.." 

Kai gripped Cole's arm tighter. "Oh come on, we have to! You can't back away from fun now." 

Cole laughed and gave Kai a look that said "how do you keep on winning me over like this". They entered the store, earning a grin from Kai. They chose their flavors, and watched the hammering and rolling process of their desserts. When the time came for toppings, Cole didn't hold back. "...brownies, sprinkles, chocolate chips, boba, whipped cream, and uh...marshmallows." 

Kai gaped at Cole's cup of food. "Swore off sweets huh?"

"Hey, if I'm gonna break my fast, I might as well make it count," Cole hummed and spooned some ice cream into his mouth.

******

They sat down on the stairs of a convenience store a few blocks away, further into the living area of the city. There, cars wooshed by much less frequently, and the only light came from the lampposts dotted along the sidewalks. Dogs barking and the buzzing of the neon OPEN sign were their background noise as they ate. The weariness of the day had begun to settle onto Kai, as he scraped up the last of his ice cream. 

"You wanna know the real reason I gave up sweets?" Cole had finished his ice cream, and sat a step down from Kai. 

"Mm," Kai swallowed a spoonful. Cole had originally said it was part of being responsible while Wu was gone. "Why?" He wrapped his arms around the stairs' railing. 

"Before I was ...a ghost, I didn't really know how to talk to people," Cole scratched the back of his head. "About feelings and stuff. My dad wasn't really the right guy for that, or he just wasn't around."

"So I pretty much just ate my feelings away. It'd make me feel better for a little bit, but then I'd just get mad at myself for eating so much and get sad and eat some more. I didn't know what else to do." 

Kai thought about how he had to raise Nya all on his own, and the weight of responsiblites that situation brought. He had very few outlets for his emotions back then.

"Well, I couldn't do that when I was a ghost," Cole continued. "And I felt sad sometimes before then, but being a ghost made it really awful. Like really, really awful, the worst I'd been in a long time." 

"Oh, sorry, I hope I didn't-" Kai held up his empty ice cream container, looking worriedly at Cole.

"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong," Cole responded. "Tonight was a good night. But um...yeah. Now that I'm alive again, I want to be able to feel better some other way. By talking to people and stuff." He pulled his hair back behind his head. "Sorry if this was kind of a downer. I didn't mean to get so heavy." 

Kai unattached himself from the railing. "Dude, you're fine. This is literally what you're trying to do. Talk to people and shit. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to tell me all this."

"Yeah?" 

"Totally," Kai smiled at him. "You can tell me whatever."

"Thanks dude," Cole's smile spread from ear to ear. "You can tell me whatever too." 

******

Kai just nodded, as the summer heat suddenly targeted his cheeks. He suggested they call it a night. Cole fell asleep on the bus, snoring with his face smushed against the window. As soon as they got home, he went to bed.

**//**

Kai planned to do the same, after one more thing. Quietly, seen as most of the team would be asleep by now, he crept to his room and looked around in his belongings.\

_"What are those?"_

_Kai's stinging eyes widened as he turned to the voice's source. He screwed up his face, and wheezed, "Nothing. Go back to cleaning the shop."_

_"Tell me!"_

_"This is big kid stuff Nya!"_

_"I'm 9 years old now, I'm basically a big kid!"_

_Kai inhaled on the cigarette again, to keep himself from snapping at her. A mistake, since it only made him break out into another coughing fit, like the one that had probably drawn Nya's attention to him._

_He croaked, "You wouldn't like it anyway. I'll be done in a minute."_

_Nya was deterred by Kai's coughing, and left him alone. He finished the cigarette off, eyes watering. Why did adults like these things so much?_  


Before he could second guess himself, Kai drenched the box of cigarettes under the faucet. Immediately, he disposed of it directly in the dumpster. He knew breaking the habit couldn't be that easy, but for tonight he could go to bed with a clear head, and not smoking a cigarette.

**//**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok so for people who had to skip over the eating disorder part, basically cole opens up to kai about how he turned to binge eating to cope, but hes trying to git rid of the habit and open up to ppl
> 
> and for the smoking part, kai picked up a smoking addiction when he was really young. he realized that coles ed was kind of similar in a way so he throws out his cigarettes to try and follow cole w better coping mechanisms
> 
> the title of the chapter is from Wonderland by Sol Seppy
> 
> thats it basically, sorry for such a short chapter, the next one will be longer i promise u__u


	3. indecisive feelings of enjoyment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> damn i thought this chapter was gonna be a lot longer than it ended up being so sorry for saying it would be haha
> 
> cw for child neglect i guess? ray and maya are in this chapter and they dont do anything shitty but the subject of them being gone for 15 years is brought up and a lot of time is dedicated to that. the scene kind of announces itself so i wont put a ** or // or anything
> 
> i also incorporated my hc of maya being mexican and ray being thai into here, but im white as toilet paper so Please let me know if i do anything racist. im hoping i have kind of an idea what im doing w my research and experience as somebody w a mom from poland and having a lot of non-american traditions and stuff
> 
> also my hcs for kai and nyas ages during this fic: kai is almost 19 and nya is 16. ray and maya disappeared when kai was 6 and nya was 3, and they were gone for like 15 years. i hc that kai became a ninja when he was 15 and nya was 13

"Mind if I hang out in here?" Kai flopped onto Cole's bed before waiting for an answer. "I've got nothin' else to do."  
  
Kai did this a lot, catching Cole where ever he was. Often times he was weightlifting or beating a punching bag in the training room, or doing chores around the temple. Kai would watch and stir up some conversation. Currently, Cole was sitting at his desk, typing away at his laptop. Kai glanced at his screen, and saw the library archive. Stuff about time travel or elemental masters or whatever. Cole replied, "Not at all. My room's kind of boring though."  
  
"I'll make my own fun," Kai crawled over to a shelf under a window. Cole had a nice view of the temple's front steps, where you could see the forest it hovered over. "Can I look around?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Kai noticed the record player sitting on the top surface of the shelf. He smiled, and proceeded to read through all the CDs Cole had. The record player he bought also played CDs, which were much more accessible than records were right now. Cole's collection looked as if it had quite some time poured into it, plausibly dating back to when he was a kid. The bands most of the CDs beheld definitely weren't modern.  
  
A shelf below that had some framed photos on it, and some little trinkets that likely had stories behind them. One of the photos was of the team, which Kai recognized as when Lloyd defeated the Overlord, and they had taken a group picture together. Funny how they thought that'd be their last ever battle. The shelf below that was packed with books. Kai read through the titles, until he came across a spine that didn't have a title on it, and was taller than the others.  
  
He unwedged it from its place, and opened it. Ah, a sketchbook. He wondered why he'd never seen Cole draw before. The drawings were impressive, and he felt a little happy with himself everytime he saw a sketch of him. Cole did a lot of observational drawing.  
  
"Did you draw these? They're really good," Kai flipped through a few more pages.  
  
"Did I-? Ohh nooo," Cole got up from his chair and stumbled towards Kai, who watched in surprise. "Don't look at those, they're uh..." Cole acted as if he wanted to rip the sketchbook from Kai's hands, but he was too polite to do so.  
  
Kai gave the sketchbook to Cole, along with a smile. "Chill bro, those drawings are awesome. I like 'em a lot."  
  
Cole just clutched the sketchbook to his chest. "Ah, thanks." He was quiet for a moment, and then lowered the sketchbook where he could view its pages.  
  
"Um, yeah, I used to draw a lot. I haven't done it in a long time though," Cole turned the sketchbook's pages, pulling a face. "God these are so old."  
  
"You should pick it up again," Kai looked further into the sketchbook when Cole handed it back to him.   
  
Cole brushed his hair behind his ear. "Maybe. I've been busy with finding Wu and stuff."  
  
Kai closed the sketchbook and hung his arms over the side of the bed. "Right."  
  
Cole returned to the laptop, clicking through more websites. Kai looked around the room, which was pretty bare decoration-wise. The ninja had gotten to used to not staying in one place for very long. There were things that distinguished it as Cole's room however, like the instrument case- Kai couldn't tell the difference between a bass and guitar case -propped up in the corner, or the earth toned clothes either on Cole's bed or hung up in his closet. Most of Cole's possessions were on the shelf where Kai found the sketchbook.  
  
Kai picked up a handball that was on Cole's bottom shelf, one full of boxes and junk. He tossed it back and forth. "No offense, but why do you care about finding Wu so much? I know he's our master and all but...do you really think we have a chance of finding him?"  
  
Kai heard the clicking of the keyboard fade out, and silence follow. "To be honest, not really. But if it were Nya, or Lloyd, you'd go to the ends of the earth for them, right?"  
  
"Well, yeah," Kai answered. "But Wu's not really like that to me. I mean, he's fine as a sensei, but he's not much of a parent."  
  
"He was all I had when I first met him," Cole said. "He's not the best, but he was a lot better than my dad at the time. I met him, before I met you, or Zane or Jay. I can't accept him just...being gone. I should take that responsibility."  
  
Kai thought back to when he first met Wu. "I didn't have any parents either when I first met him. But at least I had Nya."  
  
Cole made some kind of empathetic bombination. "Your parents are back now, though right?"  
  
"Yeah! They're cool, I guess."  
  
"'You guess?'"  
  
Kai flipped over onto his backside, and tossed the handball up in the air repeatedly. "From what I know. I don't remember them all too well, but they seem pretty cool."  
  
"Why don't you find out?"  
  
Kai caught the ball and kept it in his hands. "Whaddya mean?"  
  
"I mean you haven't seem them in like over ten years right? Maybe you should visit, before it's too late."  
  
"Yikes, I know they're old but they're not _that_ old."  
  
"Oh, geez, no, I wasn't suggesting that. I just mean before it gets all awkward y'know. And you can't just visit because you feel like it, and it has to be a special event or something."  
  
"Fuck, you're right. FSM, I didn't even help them move into their place. I am an _awful_ son _._ "  
  
Cole laughed. "You said you're bored right? You could go visit right now, before it gets dark out."  
  
Kai sat up and said, "They probably still need help integrating after being cut off from society for over a decade. Do you think they know what a Borg Watch is?"  
  
"Hah, even Jay's parents barely know how to use a Borg Watch!" Cole got back to his work, now that he'd convinced Kai. "I wouldn't worry too much about that."  
  
"You don't mind if I go now right?" Kai stood up, pointing at the doorway.  
  
"It's not like I invited you over," Cole simpered.  
  
"Ouch, alright, beefcake!" Kai spun on his heel and started to run out of the room. "I get the message."  
  
"Wait, Kai!"  
  
Kai screeched to a stop, and poked his head back into Cole's room.  
  
"Picking up a hobby might help you with that boredom problem of yours," Cole played with his hair, leaning on the chair's backrest. "I think you'd like guitar a lot."  
  
"Ooh, we should start a band!" Kai air guitared and hopped away, and the sound of Cole cracking up followed Kai down the stairs and to Nya's room.  
  


★ ★ ★

Kai and Nya's parents had moved into a town that was fairly bigger than the village they lived in before. Kai was a little sad to see the blacksmith shop go, but he could see why it was a beneficial decision. The new town wasn't far from the blacksmith shop anyway, and even occupied the same lush mountains, and was surrounded by similar farmlands. The distance wasn't important to Kai and Nya, considering their means of transportation. And the fact that they didn't visit very often added to the lack of concern in that area. Kai planned to change that however.

  
Kai and Nya were met with delighted surprise, and were welcomed into the apartment that Ray and Maya had settled into. It was on the small side, understandably so, since it was just Ray and Maya now. It wasn't as modern as the apartments in Ninjago City, but it had to have been built in the time Ray and Maya were missing, since all the cabinets differed drastically from the aged ones of the blacksmith shop. Ray and Maya kept all of the old furniture however, which maintained some of the homey, tradtionial atmosphere. They didn't have a TV in sight, which made Kai guess that they probably didn't have cellphones or laptops either. If Kai wanted to keep in contact with them, he'd have to set them up emails or phone numbers.  
  
"Look who's here Ray," Maya called from the living room while Kai and Nya put on some house slippers. Ray's face lit up with joy as he laid his eyes on Kai and Nya, and then greeted them with hugs. Kai almost leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, but he wasn't sure if that was called for after not seeing his father for a while. A few months wasn't much time compared to 15 years.  
  
"I just got back from grocery shopping," Ray said. "Maya and I were doubtful about there not being a market around here at first, but the selection at the grocery store makes up for that. Amazing isn't it?"  
  
"Yep. Super cool," Not knowing what to do with his hands, Kai stuffed them into his jeans pockets. Nya did the same with her leather jacket.  
  
"You bought supplies for _hojarascas_ didn't you Ray?" Maya asked. He said he did, and she smiled at Kai and Nya. "You probably haven't had those in a while, hm?"  
  
"Those are those cinnamon cookies, right?" Kai barely recognized the name, but he vaguely remember the strong, crisp taste that reminded him of crunchy autmn leaves. "Yeah, I haven't had those in forever."  
  
"You're in luck; I was planning to save the supplies for later, but why not make them now, like when you were kids, hm?"  
  
It's not like Kai or Nya could say no, but they shrugged and said yes. It was better than sitting around in the living room trying to come up with something to talk about.  
  
They got out all the supplies, and Maya began instructing them on what to do. Although Ray seemed to know what to do already. The instructions were directed mostly at Kai and Nya.  
  
The first thing Kai did was put way too much sugar and cinnamon into the bowl. This caused them to have to put the rest of their flour, and eggs, and ingredients in with them, and they ended up needing two bowls for all the ingredients. He made sure to be more careful for the rest of the baking process.

"Do you remember making these at all?" Ray asked as he mixed the second bowl of batter.

Kai grunted a "No" as he kneaded the dough with his knuckles. He stopped and wiped his hands on his apron. "Not really."

Ray smiled sadly. "The first time we made these you were too excited to mix the batter into the dough, and poured the batter straight into the oven." 

Nya scoffed. "He didn't even use a tray?" 

" _Mai_ ," Ray said in Thai. Kai almost forgot that Ray spoke Thai, and could remember that meant "no". Not very shocking.

Nya giggled and flicked water at Kai. "Typical Kai."

"Hey!" he cried out. "We're turning this into an elemental battle huh?" 

"Does a master of fire really want to challenge a master of water?"

"This master of fire has enough spark in him to take down a master of water any day," Kai raised his fists, trying to come off as menacing through a cheeky smile. 

"Like I said- he gets the impatience from his father," Maya bumped Ray's hip with hers. 

"And my good looks!" Ray retorted. 

"They both got our combined good looks," Maya said.   
  
"Well, one of us did," Kai smirked, and Nya chucked a dirty look at him. 

"I'm curious to see where our good looks, and our powers, go next," Ray had mixed the batter into more dough, and began pounding at it beside Kai, who was now rolling out his portion. "You have a _fen_ , yes Nya?" 

"Umm," Nya said. "A signifigant other you mean?" She knew much less Thai than Kai, which was close to nothing. Hopefully Ray could teach them. 

Ray affirmed her guess, and she set down the tray on the counter. "Yeah, I think you've met him actually. He's the master of lighting, Jay Walker." 

"Ha! That one is the master of lightning?" Ray's eyes shone with memories. "That's why he was so nervous when he met us, hm?" 

"Haha, yeah, he's normally a lot more outgoing," Nya said. 

"That sounds more like Libber," Maya had the same nostalgic tone as Ray. 

"Libber?" Kai wondered out loud.

"Yeah, his mother, I assume," Ray said.

"Oh, he's adopted," Nya explained. "I don't know any Libber." 

"Hmm," Maya said. "You'll have to introduce us to his parents sometime."

"What about you Kai?" Ray glanced at him, the corners of his eyes crinkling like paper. 

"Eh, I'm not interested in anybody," Kai's response was nonchalant. "Living the bachelor life."

"What about Skylor?" Nya hummed, sliding the first tray of _hojarascas_ into the oven. 

"Hoho, who's Skylor?" Ray said.

"Ugh, nobody," Kai rolled his eyes. "Just a girl I used to like. We're friends now, but that's it." 

"She's the master of _amber_ ," Nya tittered. 

"Ooh," Ray nudged Kai. "Having one of those in the family would be interesting."

"Dad!" Kai exclaimed. "It's not like that!"

The entire room laughed, and Kai shoved the last tray into the oven. They sat down in the living room while they waited, and Kai sank into the couch, leaning back. That was sort of embarrassing, but he felt far less out of place now. The joking around had broken the ice. Nya sat beside him, her body language also at ease.

"I'm sorry," Kai recognized Ray's voice, though it didn't ring with happiness as it had moments ago. Kai raised his head up from the cushions he'd been resting them on. 

"We're both sorry," Maya added. Her hand was on Ray's lap, and they gave their children woeful looks. "For being gone for so long." 

Nya crossed her legs. "You don't need to be sorry. It's not your fault you were kidnapped."

"Maybe it wasn't our fault, but we're still very, very sorry," Ray rubbed his eyes. "It's unjust. You two had to practically raise yourselves."

"And you turned out so wonderfully," Maya's voice was tight with emotion.

"Hey, it's okay," Kai leaned forward to meet his parents above the coffee table for a hug.

"It isn't though," Ray murmured. "We were gone for so long and...and now you're adults...I'm so sorry." 

"You're here now. It's okay," Nya and Kai both mumbled comforting words into their parents' ears. Kai had accepted the situation they grew up in for the most part, but he couldn't claim that he never got angry over how much it affected their lives.

He couldn't forget how when he first moved in with the ninja, he avoided books and scrolls like they were an illness. He could barely read more than a few simple sentences, and he couldn't bear the thought of anybody besides Nya knowing. Nya ended up telling Sensei Wu that Kai never learned to read since he had to prioritize keeping the shop open. Thus, Wu and Nya worked together to teach him everything else. 

Or how all they ate was rice and beans once a day, which resulted in Kai often being unable to even lift the sword he was repairing for a customer. Many days went by where one of them didn't eat, so that the other had enough energy to get through a work day. 

He strengthed his hold on his family, and repeated, "We're together now. It's okay."

The group hug dissolved, and left a mixed feeling in the air; the grief over the loss of the time Kai and Nya and their parents had together, accompanied by the elation of being reunited.

Ray scrounged up a laugh. "I can't believe you two jumped onto a time traveling machine just a few months ago. You grew up so much." 

Kai laughed with him. "That's probably not the craziest thing that's happened to us." 

"We have time for a few good stories," Maya said as she nodded her head towards the kitchen, where the smell was beginning to get more and more tantalizing. 

Kai and Nya exchanged glances and then looked back at their parents. "Where do we even begin?" 

"The Great Devourer?" Nya suggested. 

"No, how about that time I pretended to be evil during the Tournament of Elements?" 

"Ohh, I _so_ fucking mad at you when you did that," Nya doubled over, arms tucked into her stomach. 

Maya's mouth hung open. "Language!" she reminded them, while Ray tried to muffle a laugh. 

"Oops, sorry mom. Trust me though, I have good reason to be swearing..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kai and nya deserve their parents :gun: @ ninjago making them disappear after s7 again
> 
> the lyrics of the title are from Pleaser by Wallows. lmk if i should make a playlist and compile all the songs ive used in this fic and put it in the last chapter or something 
> 
> ALSO i freaking love ur guys' comments SO MUCH they make sharing this fic that much more fun <3333


	4. and then a shear drop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> second to last chapter!!!! yay! this one is much more interesting than the last one, which was 90% dialogue which im sarry for
> 
> the last chapter is short af and just ties some things up so yeah lol this fic ended up being tiny. ill probably post it later today just to slay this beast
> 
> i was originally going to split this chapter into 2, but couldnt find a cut off point that didnt make it super short so here we are. a lot happens in this chapters so be warned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second to last chapter!!! woo!!!! this one is much more interesting than the last one, i promise. i might go ham and just post the final chapter latet today bc its super short and i could just slay this beast already
> 
> i have a lot to say in the end notes so ill just tell u that the lyrics of the chapter here are from 15 Steps by Radiohead

"You know that I can't cook like, at all, right?"

Kai and Nya had brought one of the batches of cookies home, and they had disappeared almost instantly. They were eaten up a lot faster with 7 people at the temple, than the first batch was by the quartet at Ray and Maya's apartment.

Cole especially enjoyed them, and just now Kai had suggested they make some. Kai put his hands on his hips and shrugged. "I don't bake much either, but it could be fun."

"I didn't think you'd be the kind of guy to think baking is fun," said Cole.

"What can I say? I'm full of surprises."

Cole chuckled. "Alright, let me put on an apron." He looked through the cabinet and pulled out a flowery pink article of clothing. "Huh. Is this seriously the only apron we have?"

"Yeahh, you can have it," was all Kai had to say. He was confident enough not to make a mess of himself. They washed their hands, and Cole tied up his hair. Kai was sure they had the required ingredients, since Zane used to bake often, and considering he hadn't done it lately they probably wouldn't be running low.

"So," Cole set out what Kai had told him they needed. "Do you have the instructions written down or something?"

"Yep," Kai tapped his temple, and Cole laughed. "Up here."

"Okay hotshot, what's the first step then?"

Wait, I think we're supposed to put the flour in cup by cup. Whatever, we'll just put in more oil. Be sure not to mix up the salt and sugar. This is awfully clumpy...more flour? Are you sure? Okay, next is a tablespoon of water- that's a teaspoon. I think. Eugh, is it supposed to taste like that? Cole! Stop eating all the cinnamon, we need that for later!

Kai could almost see smoke pouring out of the oven, as Cole took out their creations. They were charred on top, and there was barely any cinnamon left to coat them in.

Cole bit into one with a harsh crunch. "I think it's safe to quote Zane," he said between bites. "These are a 'culinary disgrace'."

Kai laughed, and put down the one he had sampled. His taste buds were as disapproving as Zane would be. However, Zane would likely fake a smile, and pat them on their shoulders. Kai and Cole were brutally honest on themselves.

Cole ate another sad excuse for a cookie, and Kai's laughter grew. "Dude, why do you keep eating them? These are _nasty!_ "

"I'm hungry!" Kai laughed at Cole's response, almost falling off the chair. The ghost of Sensei Yang would probably be annoyed by the ruckus their combined laughter was making. The corners of Cole's mouth creased his eyes into little hills, and his mouth was wide with bliss. Kai rarely saw this side of Cole, the side that wasn't equipped with his dark ninja suit and shoulder pads, or wielding an enormous weapon. This Cole had his hair tied up into a messy bun, and wore an apron that accentuated the gentler parts of his body, like his full stomach, and sloping shoulders.

"We should probably clean this up," Cole suspired.

Kai leaned back against the table and hmphed. "Or we could let Zane take care of it."

"For some reason, I don't think he'd appreciate that," Cole said as he stood up and began putting all the supplies away. Kai had the decency to help him, and began wiping down the countertop. They weren't sure what to do with the cookies. Kai thought about offering them to the rest of the team, but Kai and Cole had made fun of themselves plenty. Maybe he'd use them as persuasion for his parents to teach him to cook more. They ended up storing them in the fridge for the time being.

They rushed up the stairs, playfully pushing each other, not wanting the fun to end. Not stopping to turn the lights off, they bumbled into Cole's room, and plunged themselves onto his bed. Day was beginning to fade, and the light Cole's window provided was shrinking in strength. They joked around until it escalated into nonsensical inside jokes, tailored to Kai and Cole's humor. Anybody else would have reacted with confusion and a blank face. 

Kai threw his head back in laughter, using his arms to prevent himself from falling backwards off the bed. He opened his eyes at the sound of Cole's strong laugh. Cole's broad shoulders rose up and down like waves, and Kai felt the mattress shift beneath them. Nothing about this was particularly funny, but Kai felt another laugh bubble up inside him. A giggle escaped his grinning mouth, and he keeled forward. Cole only laughed harder when Kai fell onto his lap, and Kai had to hold himself upright again. 

They just sat like that for a few moments, sheets strewn, now giggling softly. Kai's arms trembled slightly under his weight. A long sigh escaped him, as he remembered how breatheless laughing fits could leave you. Cole was in a similar state; His stomach sucked in, and then distended again, signifying a quiet sigh.

Kai leaned forward a little further, daring to lower himself onto Cole's wide torso. But Cole kept silent, and continued staring at the walls of the temple. His lips rested in a relaxed smile, while his brown eyes, the left one faded green because of his scar, blinked lazily. The same scar had faded into a muted green, and was almost indiscernable in the darkness. 

Kai could feel the heat of his own breathe, his face so close to Cole's chest. In that moment, he yearned to get closer. Like good friends.

Kai supposed he wasn't Cole's best friend, that title being taken by Jay. Even then, their dynamic hadn't become like Jay and Cole's joking and easygoing kind.

Kai had known Cole for years by now, but getting to know each other these past few weeks opened up something between them. But not like a best friend. What was Kai to Cole?

Kai took another look at Cole and his breathe caught in his throat. He knew what Cole was to him. 

Pushing all else out of his head, it felt as if time was slowing down. He sprung up, and pressed his lips into Cole's. They were firm at first, but as Cole unstiffened, and began to wrap his arms around Kai's back, they softened and opened up, tasting sweet like sugar. Squeezing his eyes shut tighter, Kai slipped his tongue into Cole's mouth and grabbed Cole's side from under his tank top. Time sped up again. Now with sure grips on each other, they sank into the bed, their mouths melting concertedly.

Kai didn't know how long they made out. Long enough for Kai to be even more out of breathe than he'd been before. His eyes fluttered open, accompanied by a shaky inhale. He stared at Cole, whose hair was even more disheveled than usual, and tank top was slipping off. The only sound in the room was their euphoric panting. 

Kai interrupted his breathing by swallowing. His hands shook and he shuffled away from Cole. He didn't want this. He didn't want to have enjoyed that. He didn't want to want more. __

"Kai?"

Why the fuck did he want more? He rushed off the bed, and stumbled out of the room. Running his hands through his hair, he did his best to ignore Cole's calls.

★ ★ ★

The good thing about Master Wu being gone was that every ninja could get up and train whenever they desired. So if the ninja got into an argument the night before, they didn't have to sit through an awkward sunrise exercise together. It was easy for Kai to recall how tense training was back when Cole and Jay were fighting, while Zane was absent. Kai growled to himself, and returned his thoughts to the present. He dug through his drawer until he found what he was searching for.

He couldn't be bothered to step outside to light the cigarette. He merely opened his window, and held it between his teeth, using his powers to ignite it. He inhaled sharply, watching the orange tip climb upward. Then he exhaled, letting a dark cloud of smoke rise into the air. The cigarette was stale, and left a putrid taste in his mouth. He licked his lips, and Cole's mouth flashed into his mind.

He scowled and took a drag long enough to burn the cigarette into a stub, as well as push the memory out of his mind. He knew quitting wouldn't be that easy. Even more so, now that he couldn't even talk to Cole about feelings and such. 

But why not? 

Because he was scared?

Because he was weak?

Because he ruined everything?

And now Cole probably hated him.

Almost as much as he hated himself.

Kai let out an angry cry, and clawed at his hair. A fiery ball rose up in his throat, and he swallowed it down, blinking back tears. He tried to smoke what was left of his cigarette, but it was no use. He threw it over the side of his window and cursed himself for disposing of the rest of them. He felt the same as he did years ago, at the age of five. Utterly alone and helpless.

Kai sighed, reminiscing over all his time spent with Cole from the past few weeks. Without a cigarette to hold them back, memories flooded in. Cole's long, thick black hair, that he often played with and brushed back nervously. His massive frame, that seemed intimidating, but was really gentle and caring. His adorable little giggles, and his unrestrained roars of laughter. His passion for the things he loved- art, food, music, and most of all, the people in his life. 

_"You can tell me whatever too,"_ Cole had said with that goofy, but consoling smile.

Kai rubbed his face in defeat. He couldn't keep torturing himself like this.

After washing up, and giving himself a classic Kai pep talk in the mirror, he returned to Cole's room. Hoping that Cole wasn't asleep, he knocked, gently at first. When there wasn't an instant response, he raised his knuckles to knock louder, but a muffled "Come in." stopped him.

Kai opened the door, looking at Cole avertedly. Cole face was blank, and he sat on the bed, criss crossing his legs.

"Hey," Kai breathed, taking a few steps forward.

"Hey," Cole replied. Kai's mouth was as dry as cotton. 

"Why'd you...not come after me?" 

"Was I supposed to?" 

Kai rubbed the back of his head. "No. I guess not. Just...I don't know how I feel Cole. I don't know if I wanna be with you...like that." 

Cole furrowed his brows. "You're making it sound like I asked you out." 

"God I..." Kai threw up his hands in the air, struggling to find words. 

" _You_ kissed _me_ Kai," Cole's tone made Kai recoil. His voice dropped a few decibels. "I really thought you liked me."

Kai didn't know what to say, so he glued his eyes to his feet. He hadn't noticed the empty boxes of snacks littered on the floor until now. Kai followed the boxes back to Cole, who had curled up on himself, avoiding Kai's gaze. Guilt stabbed Kai in the chest. 

"I'm sorry," Cole's face remained emotionless, but he met Kai's eyes now. Kai walked over to the bed, and sat down warily. "I'm sorry for freaking out like that. It's not you, trust me." 

Cole's mouth twitched. "What is it then?"

"It's..." Kai laughed wryly. "It's not you. It's me. I just got scared. I really like you Cole. You're cute, and cool, and you have your shit together and just. Fuck. I _really_ like you." 

"I do not have my shit together," Cole stated. Kai laughed again, this time in a less dry way. His voice cracked when he spoke again. 

"But I'm also _really_ fucking scared of losing you. I liked Skylor right away because...we started flirting before even being friends or anything. I don't think I actually liked her. Just the thought _of_ her and. I do want someone to love and be with or whatever bullshit. But I don't want to lose them. Just like how we lost Wu.. and Zane, and how I lost my parents a-and how, h-how maybe if I were.. good enough that never would have happened. And, and, if I remembered you on D-Day of the Departed you never would have-"

Before Kai could continue, Cole pulled him into a hug. The action was almost rough, being so sudden and strong. But Cole was like a giant blanket, enveloping Kai in warmth and safety. Hot tears trickled down Kai's face, and he smeared them into Cole's shoulders, quaking and trembling. He sobbed as if Cole could absorb all of his worries, and he'd never have to deal with them again. Cole hugged Kai tighter, until his sobs were only muffled whimpers.

"Please don't let your fears hold you back dude," Cole whispered. "You're Kai, fucking, Smith. You jumped into a cave river to save your little brother. You hopped onto a time machine to save Master Wu. You are _so_ good and brave." 

Kai choked out another sob, his shoulders sagging. Cole let go of him, and squeezed his hands. "You are more than good enough. Don't hold yourself back from having a good life." Kai swallowed and gulped for air, making it easier to talk.

"A good life with you?" He laughed. 

Cole shrugged and brushed his air behind his ear. "I'd like that a lot." Kai smiled and Cole imitated the action. Cole traced circles over Kai's knuckles, and Kai was sure he had a look on his face that was as idiotic and sappy as Cole's. They didn't say anything else for a few minutes, and Kai continued to shed the last of his tears while Cole held him.

And then, until the early hours of the morning, more than he ever had to Nya and Lloyd, Kai opened up to Cole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no, im not going to write the whole convo here, sorry. i like to leave things up to interpretation, although i personally imagine them talking abt their messed up childhoods and just. a lot of the fucked up stuff that came w being ninja and how they both have trouble opening up
> 
> also im aware that this chapter probably came off as pretentious? idk? i could have it just be simple fluff where they confess like flustered idiots (but i think they have their own issues that would prevent that clean of a process anyway). plus, its hard to make a multichapter narrative out of that, esp if ur like me and like to analyze ships dynamics and why they work or not
> 
> but anyways, i hope my charater analysis is clear and doesnt totally seem like pointless drama. im having fun writing this which is most important, but also i wanna still create something good and enjoyable that isnt just fluff


	5. and so it goes, a choking rose back, to be reborn; i want to hold you like youre mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wowh *eats an oat* last chapter!!!!!!!! i will definitely write more lava drabbles based on this fic, and post them as one shots or part of a series or something. ive already started writing cole meeting ray and maya, and i wanna write cole's fall in s10, and cole teaching kai guitar and all that good stuff :0) so stick around
> 
> cw (cheesiness warning) for just fluffiness and love. nothing bad happens here
> 
> the chapter title lyrics are from Agnes by Glass Animals

_Who's peeking out from under the stairway, calling a name that's lighter than air?_

_Who's bending down to give me a rainbow?_

_Everyone knows it's Windy_

Kai giggled at the hand outstretched in front of his face, inviting him to dance. The record player that Cole had bought played an upbeat 60s tune as Cole waited for Kai to join him.

_Who's creeping down the streets of the city, smiling at everybody she sees?  
Who's reaching out to capture a moment-_

Kai put his hand in Cole's and was immediately whisked to Cole's side.

_Everyone knows it's Windy_

Kai laughed again, as Cole began to lead his feet to the beat of the song.

_And Windy has stormy eyes_  
_That flash at the sound of lies_

Cole spun Kai around a few times, before pulling him back to his hip, dancing around the room some more.

_And Windy has wings, to, fly_

They jolted to a halt, and Cole lurched forward to suspend a smitten Kai Smith just a foot away from the ground. 

_Above the clouds_

Cole's eyes twinkled, and after getting over his initial shock, Kai burst out laughing. 

_Above the clou-_

A rather comical record scratch drew the pair's attention to the person standing by the record player. Cole fumbled a little while helping Kai stand up, and they stood side by side. 

"Holy shit," Jay's voice was shrill. "Are you two- you're- oh my god. LLOYD, NYA, ZANE, GET UP HERE!" Kai moaned and slapped his palm against his forhead. They'd been trying to do something nice together before the rest of the team was awake- he wasn't quite sure how to tell them he and Cole were dating. Of course Jay would be up at this hour- he was always an early bird.

A group of sleepy looking ninja stumbled into Cole's room, answering Jay's plea.

"What the..." Lloyd narrowed his eyes at Kai and Cole. Kai looked down. He hadn't even realized Cole's hand was on his waist. It seemed Cole didn't either. 

"I was just minding my own business, on my way to my room after getting some breakfast, when I see these two dancing together." Jay pointed at them in an exasperated manner. "Is that allowed? Is- is that allowed?!"

"You two are dating?" Nya had a shit-eating grin on her face. "Since when?"

"Uhm...since a few days ago I guess," Cole smiled nervously.

She shook her head in disbelief as Zane chimed in. "I thought it was obvious. They've been spending a significant amount of time with each other for a few weeks now."

Kai felt heat rise to his cheeks, and he pulled away from Cole. "Alright, all of you get out now."

"No way!" Jay shouted. "I wanna know all the details! You can't just date my best friend like that! I want answers!" 

Kai said, "Now you know how I feel about Nya."

Zane managed to usher Jay away despite his protests, and Lloyd followed them. 

"That means you too sis," said Kai. 

"Actually Kai, I need to talk to you," said Nya. "Just the two of us."

Kai glanced at Cole, who displayed his understanding with a shrug. "I'll go get dressed."

Nya stood by the edge of the bed, arms crossed and eyeing Cole as he left the room.

"Sooo," she sang. "Cole, huh?" 

Kai groaned. "Shut up. You liked him too once." 

"Ugh," she sat down and patted the spot next to her. Kai joined her. "Don't remind me. I think I was just..tired of Jay."

Kai lifted a brow. "How are things going with him?" 

"Right. I didn't tell you," Nya said. "We broke up. For good this time." 

"Oh," Kai averted his gaze. He wasn't really surprised, but he didn't want it to seem like he thought the break up was inevitable. "Sorry 'bout that." 

"It's alright," Nya slouched over and put her elbows on her knees. "I should be apologizing for not really talking to you about stuff lately."

"Nah, nah, I'm sorry too. It's been a lot- all this Wu shit." Nya sighed a "yeah" and stared at her feet. She pressed her lips together and inhaled.

"There's a bigger reason I came to talk to you actually," she said. "It has to do with me breaking up with Jay. And by bigger I mean... well, it's a lot." 

"Hit me," Kai said. 

"I already talked about it with mom and dad over the phone. They were the ones who helped me decide to break with him...I don't really know why it took so long for me to tell you. But just promise not to get mad at Jay okay? He's apologized and shit, we're all good."

"Do I need to beat his ass?" 

"No! What did I just say?"

"Alright, alright! Tell me the big thing."

"Okay. So uh...do you remember when you guys were at the resting place of the First Spinjitzu Master? And you saw your reflections and the future and stuff...?"

★ ★ ★

Kai thought about what Nya had told him, and could barely wrap his head around the fact that his sister and friend had been having trauma induced nightmares from another timeline erased by said friend. Jay was lucky Kai didn't set him on fire. He supposed he finally knew what was up with the temple floating. 

His fingers bounced to the rhythm of a song that Cole had shown him as waited for his toast to be done. He never really liked Cole's alternative music, but it had very much grown on him. 

_Smoking cigarettes on the roof  
You look so pretty and I love this view_

Kai jumped in surprise at the large arms that suddenly wrapped themselves around his waist. He laughed and tried to turn around, but Cole held him back with neck-kisses and his strong hold. 

_Don't bother looking down_

"Babe, you gotta warn me when you do that!" Kai managed to turn himself around and put a hand on Cole's face, pulling it to closer to his.

"Where's the fun in that?" Cole smiled, and proceeded to bring their lips together.

"Ewww," a voice at the kitchen table said. "I liked it better when you made fun of each other." 

_We're not going that way_

Kai stopped gazing at Cole's face and peered over his boyfriend's shoulder. "Get used to it Lloyd," he grinned. "You have a brother-in-law now." 

"No offense Cole," Lloyd wrinkled his nose as he took a sip from his mug. "But gross."

_At least I know I am here to stay_

"Is that coffee?" Kai asserted, Cole now at his side. They leaned against the counter, with Cole's arm on top of Kai's shoulder.

"Yeah," Lloyd said. "Relax, I'm like, 16 now." 

Kai snickered. "Sometimes I forget you're not 11 anymore."

_Looking at the stars  
Admiring from a far_

Cole hummed and took a bite of- was that Kai's toast? When did that finish cooking? Kai snatched the toast away, taking a bite for himself.

"He's growing up now, isn't he?" Cole said.

"Yeah," Kai agreed, just as the rest of the ninja began to pour into the kitchen, chattering like magpies. They were much more lively than they had been half an hour ago. "We all are." 

As his song faded away into its ending, Kai turned to Cole and leaned into his chest. Cole lowered his face into Kai's mess of ungelled hair, and gave it a firm kiss. Kai beamed. "And I think it's for the better."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CHEESY AND FLUFFY AM I RIGHT, the beginning song is Windy by The Associates
> 
> the ending song was we fell in love in october by girl in red (funny bc this takes place in summer lol) and lmk if i shouldnt use it, bc girl in red is a lesbian and the whole song is her just proclaiming her love for her first girlfriend (so its not necessarily about the wlw experience but she said, quote 'I couldn't write it in a straight way or anything like that.')
> 
> but the lyrics fit in a way, bc she said there was a lot of drama surrounding this girlfriend, as she started dating her soon after breaking up w a guy. and its licherally her just coming to terms w having a girlfriend and stating her love even when the past was messy
> 
> BUT ANYWAYZ i want to thank everybody who was super kind while i wrote this- jack, lily, em, soozu, anybody who left a comment, you know who you are -it means so much u have no idea. i love yall <33


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